Dispenser



G. C. SPIRO Dec. 28, 193 7.

DISPENSER Filed Nov. 24, 1956 V Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE DISPENSER George C. Spiro, Yonkers, N. Y. Application November 24, 1936, Serial No. 112,580

7 Claims. I (Cl. 221-6) 1i) signed, in the preferred embodiment, to have but a single connection with the container proper, with such'unit operating parts so constructed and arranged that they may be assembled exteriorly of the container and inserted therein for use" in a 15 simple and. convenient manner.

A further object of the invention is the use, in the preferred form, of a gate for controlling the deliveryof the contents of the container, which gate is mounted; for rocking movement toward andfrom a discharge position and held in place without the use of any connecting means, such as a hinge or other support, thus materially simplifying'the construction and assemblage of parts as well as reducing their cost.

25 Afurther object of the invention is the provision of an operating unit includinga spring member placed under tension when the gate is opened and serving, when free to. act, to close the gate, there being included in the operatingu-nit an agitator which serves to agitate the contents of the container to avoid clogging and facilitate the flow of such contents through the opening when the gate is opened, the agitator being operated in one direction in the opening movement of the 35 gate and in the other direction by the spring which acts to close the gate when the opening pressure thereon is relieved.

The invention. is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: i I

in Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view with the operating unit in elevation.

b Figure 2 is a plan view of the operating unit and gate, the container being shown in transverse section.

-15 Figure 3 is a broken front elevation with the gate in closed position.

Figure 4 is a broken front elevation showing the opening in the container to receive the gate.

The improved dispenser comprises a container 50 I which, while preferably circular in cross section, may obviously be of any sectional form and any reasonable dimensions as to height and diameter. Within the container is arranged an inclined false bottom 2 which extends from the 55 lower edge of the container upwardly toward the diametrically opposite area to provide for the gravital feed of the material toward'the outlet. The wall of the container in vertical line with the lowest portion of the false bottom is formed with an opening 3 of appropriate width and 5 height, the side edges 4 of which are substantially parallel and the upper edge 5 is interruptedby upstanding narrow slots 6 which extend above the upper edge and' have theirouter edges in line with the side edges 4 of the opening. 10

A gate for controlling the opening 3 includes an I outer wall 1 having a width exceedingthe width of the opening 3 and a vertical dimension or length exceeding the similar or vertical dimension' of the opening 3; The outer'wall extendsbeyond the upper edge of the opening 3 as an integral finger plate8 which-is inclined'with respect to the outer wall: or closing section I, so that when the latter is in position toclose'the opening 3, the finger plate extends outwardly from the wall of the container in an upward direction, as shown clearly in Figure 1 of the drawing. Secured to th closure pl te 'l forminga part ofthe gate are side plates or wings 9 which are spaced apart so that theirouter surfaces bear more or less snugly against the side edges 4 of the opening. The plates or wings 9 of the gate are curved on their lower edges, as at I0, to per mit their swinging movement through the opening and at their upper edges are formed with short lengths H which are'at right angles to the closure plate I, the rear edges l2of the wings inclining downwardly and rearwardly. In applied position, the wings extend through the'opening 3, the upper margins ll extending into the narrow slots 6 at the upper edge of the opening.

Secured to the olosure plate 1 is a bar l3 which extends rearwardlyfrom the closure plate between the wings 9 and at a point inwardly of the gate proper is provided with a transverse bar I l 40 which serves as an agitator. A spring I5 is removably secured at one end IE to a fixed element carried by the container wall, the opposite end of the spring being co nnected to or extended as a single length H which is looped at It around the 4.5 bar [3 immediately in advance of the agitator Hi. When the parts are in applied positions, the rear end of the spring I5 is just above the rear elevated edge of the false bottom and the spring is so tensioned that when the gate is in applied position and arranged to close the opening 3, all parts willbe held under the tension of the spring. In this position of the parts, it is to be particularly noted that in the preferred structure the gate proper is without hinged or other connection with the container, as the fitting of the gate wings in the narrow slots 6'serves' to' guide and retain the gate in appropriate relation to the opening 3 in all positions of the gate, whether closed or open, and that as the wings 9 bear against the side edges 4 of the opening 3, the gate is freely movable from opened to closed position or vice versa without possible separation of the gate from the container.

When desiring to discharge thecontents of the container through the opening 3, the inclined finger plate 8 is pressed inwardly into approximate contact with the wall of the container. This swings the gate in a position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, freeing the opening 3 for discharge of the contents moving downwardly by gravity in the container under thedirection or the false bottom.- During this opening movement of the gate, the spring [5 is tensioned and the agitator-l4 is moved forwardly. This move ment of the agitator serves tobreak up anyclods or hardened portions of the contents and insures an even, regular flow-of the contents through the opening 3. V 7

When the pressure on the finger plate 8 is relieved, the spring acts to return-the gate to closed position, the closure plate Tfullyand completely closing the opening plate 3 and the agitator mov ing in the opposite directionto'that described to insure a further agitation of the contents of the container.

It is to be'particularly noted thatthe operating unit including the spring, agitator and gate may be assembled exteriorly of the container and passed through the opening 3 byappropriate manipulation, whereupon the fixingof the end l6 of the spring to the fixed element on the container, which may for example be a hook, completes the assemblage. In this connection it is noted that, while the preferred form-and one of the important features of the invention is the fact that the gate as agate is without pivotal or other connection with the container, swinging on theedge formed by the meeting ends of the closureplate 1 and the finger plate 8, it is nevertheless to be considered within the scope of the present invention that if desired a mounting for the gate at this point maybe provided without sacrificing any of the-unit details of the operating means and merely in such instance requiring additional details to provide a hinged juncture.

Such hinge being a conventional part of such a construction, is not particularly illustrated, and is merely referred to to indicate that within the scope of the appended claims, such hinge or like connection is contemplated.

What is claimed to be new is:

1. A dispenser including a container formed with a discharge opening, agate forcontrolling the flow of material through said'opening, a finger plate forming an extension of the. gate and operable to swing the gate to open position, the movement of thefinger plate to open the gate being limited by contact of said finger plate with the container, a bar extending from the gate, an-agitator at one end of the bar, and a spring connected at one end tothe bar in ad- Vance of the agitator and at the opposite end to the container.

2. A dispenser including a container formed with a discharge opening, a gate for controlling the passage of material through said discharge opening and including a closure plate to overlie the opening and wings extending from the closure plate inwardly of the container to define a discharge passage when the gate is opened, a finger plate extending at an angle from and formed in one piece with the closure plate and movable toward the container to move the closure plate to 'open position with respect to the discharge opening, a spring connected at one end to the container, and means connecting the opposite end of the spring to the gate, said means including an agitator movable in one direction in the opening movement of the gate under the operation of the finger plate and movable in the opposite direction under closing movement of the gate under the influence of the spring.

3. A dispenser including a container formed with a discharge opening, agate Wholly free of connection with the, container and movable to control the flow of material through said discharge opening,.and. a spring connected at one end to the container and through the opposite end to the gate, said spring serving as the sole medium to maintain the gate in movablerelation with respect to the discharge opening.

4. A dispenser including a container formed With a discharge'opening, and aunit means for controlling the how of material through said opening, said unit means including a gate rockable on the surfaceof the container in operation, and a spring connected at one end to the container and through the opposite end to the .gate, said spring forming the sole connection of the unit to the container.

' 5. A construction as defined in claim 4, where-- in the gate includes spaced Wings extending inwardly of the container and guided in slots formed in the wall of the container.

6. A dispenser including a container formed with a discharge opening and a unit means for controlling the flow of material through said opening, said unit means including a gate rockable on the surface of the container in operation, the gate including a closure plate to cover the discharge opening and an angularly related finger plate through which the gate may be rocked on the juncture of the finger plate and closure plate, and a spring connected at one end to the container and through the opposite end to the gate, said spring forming the sole connection of 

